St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-25
ADDITIONAL ST. PAUL NEWS.
MaJ. POsTL ETHWAITE REPLIES
The Relations Between the Board
of Education and the ssVentilat-
ing Fraternity! of the City.

ing Fraternity? of the City.
To the Editor of the Globe.
Referring to the communication from E.
F. Osborne published in to-day's GLOBE,
I desire to say that the statements made
therein are almost entirely barren of truth
full facts. The ''ventilatlng fraternity" of
this city must be an imaginary body. at
least the board of education was never fur
nished any plans for the ventilation of the
school buildings, or invited to inspect the
operation of any system of ventilation that
had been introduced by said ''ventilating
fraternity" in buildings III this city or else
where. The school buildings into which
mechanical ventilation and steam heating is
to be introduced during this year were
erected some years ago and new buildings
are erected in each year, yet to this date
the ''ventilating fraternity" OF this city
have failed to present any plans, so far as
the writer knows, for the proper ventlla-
ton of any of these buildings by mechanl-
cal means The public must bear i'll mind
that ST. Paul firms had exactly the same
opportunity to invite the attention OF the
board of education to any particular system
of mechanical ventilation that firms or cor
porations of Chicago or elsewhere had. The
system introduced in the Franklin school
building was not adopted until after the
board OF health had declared the building
unfit for school purposes owing to a lack
of proper ventilation. After the contract
for this work was awarded a kick was made
by certain ST. Paul firms because, as they
claimed. no opportunity was given them to
bid for the work. The results obtained at
the Franklin school were satisfactory to
such an extent that at meeting OF the
board on the Sd of November last Inspector
Williams, who had voted against the intro
ductlon of the system in that school build
ing, offered the following resolution, which
was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the committee on real es
tate is hereby requested to prepare plans and
specifications for heating by steam and VEN
tilating by the most approved and effective
mechanical appliances the Madison, Jefferson
and Lincoln school buildings; that the COM
mittee also invite plans and specifications
from outside parties with full details; that
the committee ascertain the approximate cost
of such different plants and report to this
board no later than at the next regular NEE |
ng.
The committee on real estate, believing
with Mr. Williams and other members of
the board that better ventilation was de-
manded for our school rooms. desired to
avail itself of the best system that could be
had, and with that object i'll view caused the
above resolution to be printed and mailed
to wellknowa firms i'll this city. Minneap-
Oils, Chicago, Detroit, New York and Boston.
The following statement was printed with
the resolution, viz:
In accordance with the instructions herein
above contained, the committee in charge de-
sireS to invite your tender OF such PROPOSE
ton as you may desire 10 make, not in the
shape of formal scale d bid, but a full and
detailed statement showing the merits of the
HOY md
the approximate cost if applied in detail ac-
cording to your idea. Your early response is
urgently requested.
This request brought no propositions or
plans from the ''ventilating fraternity" of
st. Paul; those that were presented came
from Milwaukee and Chicago firms. and the
committee could have made report respect
ing the same at the January meeting of the
board, but the subject was not again referred
to at a board meeting until March Z, when
attention was invited to it and the commit
tee was granted authority to incur whatever
expense was necessary to obtain detailed
specifications of the steam heating plant re-
quired for the three buildings. that our St.
Paul firms might be given further oppor-
tunity to compete for that portion of the
work.
Mr.. Osborne never. to my knowledge,
outlined to me any plans he had for the
mechanical ventilation OF these buildings,
nor did he name any figures as the approx
mate cost of the same.
AS the steam-heating plant in the Frank
lin school building was furnished by Messrs.
Holland & Thompson, of this city, who sub
init the direct radiation to Mr.. Osborne, the
public will be slow to take airy stock in Mr..
Osborne's statement that the action OF the
board of education is to say there is no
one in this Northwest capable. of heating
and yentilating our school buildings" The
Chicago firm that erected the ventilation
plant purchased portion of the material
in this city, employed st Paul mechanics,
and had the boiler made by Kenny Bros,
Oh Fourth street.
1t seems to me it would be more profita-
bic to MIR. Osborne, whom have served in
more ways than one, if he would exhibit
his wares and attempt to have his system
of ventilation introduced into some of the
new buildings that are to be erected this
year, than to waste so much time over con-
tracts that have been awarded to other
firms.
do not seek newspaper controversies of
this character. therefore shall not bore the
public with anything further on this sub
.ect, now or hereafter. ..
A. G. PosTLETHwAITE.
St Pou1 Mornh %